George S. Kaufman

Playwright

Birthday November 16, 1889

Birth Sign Scorpio

Birthplace Pittsburgh, PA

DEATH DATE Jun 2, 1961 (71)

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About

Playwright and theater director who won a Tony award for his direction of the popular musical "Guys and Dolls." His play "You Can't Take It With You" and his book for the Gershwin musical "Of Thee I Sing" both earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Before Fame

He attended law school for three months, but left and worked a series of odd jobs before becoming a critic and editor for The New York Times. His first play, Someone in the House, debuted on Broadway in 1918.

Trivia

He wrote the musical scores for several of the Marx Brothers films.

Family Life

He married his first wife, Beatrice Bakrow, in 1917. He was later married to Leueen MacGrath for eight years. He had a daughter named Anne.

Associated With

He collaborated with George Gershwin on the musical "Of Thee I Sing," which won the 1932 Pulitzer Prize.